Vapor-burner for self-heating sad-irons.



No. 636,060. f Patentedct. 3|, |899. W. PITT. VAPDR BURNER FOR SELF.HEATING SAD IRONS.

(Application Bled Dec. 81, 189B.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATEs PATENT EEICEa WILLIAM PITT, oE INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI,AssIeNoR To is. C. SMITI-I, oE KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, AND J. I-I.MERCHANT AND M. I-I. REDEIELD,

OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

VAPOR-BURNER FOR SELF-HEATING SAD-IRONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,06, dated October31, 1899.-

Application filed December 31, 1898. Serial No. 700,871. (N modell) T0a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PITT, of Independence, Jackson county,Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVapor-Burners for Self-Heating Sad-Irons,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vapor-burners for' self-heating sad-irons; andmy object is to produce a burner of this character of simple,

1o strong,durable,and inexpensive construction,

wherein the number of joints is reduced to diminish the chancesofleakage, and thereby secure more satisfactory service for a longerperiod of time than can be obtained by the use of I5 the generality ofsuch devices, wherein the chances of the vapor jet orifice becomingchoked up are reduced by locating the packingboxata pointbeyond thesuctionalinuence of the escaping vapor, it being well known that zo eachremoval and insertion of the valve tends to free particles of thepacking, which in ordinary burners are frequently drawn into thejet-orice by the forceful ejection of the vapor, and wherein anobstruction in the jetz 5 orifice can be removed easily and quicklywithout reducing the pressure-that is, while the process of generationis in operation.

With this object in view the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features 3o of construction and combinations of parts, as willbe hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fullyunderstood I will proceed to describe it with reference t0. theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents in side elevation avapor-burner embodying my invention, said burner being shown inoperative position in a sad-iron, the latter being sectioned in order tomore clearly disclose this relation. Fig.

4o 2 is a top plan view of the burner with the oil-tank removed and ofthe iron with its cover omitted. Fig. 3 is an enlarged Verticallongitudinal section of the burner. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of apart of the headcasting. i

In the said drawings, 1 designates the oiltank, of peculiar constructionin that its one opening 2 is utilized in filling the tank and also as anexit for the oil on its passage to the vaporizing-tube, hereinafterreferred to. In fact it is in use simply an inverted tank having itsneck externally threaded and formed with a shoulder 3, said'tank beingthus made in one piece without a filling cap or plug at its upper end,so that the upper end of the tank shall afford as little obstruction aspossible when the iron is pushed, for instance, into the'sleeve of ashirt being ironed, where it is obvious a cap or projection on the topof the tank would be decidedly objectionable, as it would not only causethe operator to lose time by manipulating the iron more slowly, butwould also be apt to catch into the sleeve or other part of the garmentbeing ironed and tear the same. In fact this is one of the standingobjections to self heating irons which are provided with caps or otherprojections, as most of them are at the top of the tank.

4t designates the head-casting of the generator, said head-casting beingformed at its upper front end with an internally-threaded inverted cap 5to receive the threaded neck of the tube, and in order to make the jointpractically perfect without packing the upper end of the cap is formedwith an annular V-shaped flange 6, which abuts squarely against theopposing shoulder 3 of the inverted tank. By this construction the morefrequently the cap and tank are screwed t0- gether the more perfect thejoint becomes between the flange 6 and the shoulder 3. Said head-castingis provided with a passage 7, communicating at its upper end with thehollow cap 5 and at its lower and rear end with thelongitudinally-threaded passage 8,'

wherein is mounted the threaded portion 9 of the needle-valve rod, thefront end of said threaded portion 9 being squared, as at 10, toconveniently receive a key (not shown) for adjusting the valve. Thisportion 9 extends through the base of the hollow packing-nut l1 andthrough the packing k12, interposed between the base of said nut and theheadcasting, this packing performing its usual function-viz., preventingthe leakage of oil. The needle-valve rod 13, of reduced diameter,

extends rearward from the threaded portion 9 clear through thevaporizingtube l-t, screwed at its front end into the passage 8 justrearward of the passage 7. The rod 13 almost completely fills thepassage of said tube, to the end that it shall act also to facilitatethe vaporization of the oil by permitting only a thin cylindrical filmof oil to pass through the tube, as will be readily understood byreference to Fig. 3. The needlevalve rod, terminating at its rear end,as usual, in a conical point or needle, is adapted to be seated withmore or less pressure against the needle-valve seat 16 of thetail-casting 15 of the generator, said casting being screwed upon therear end of the tube lll. 17 designates an oblique vapor-passage leadingdownward and rearward from the valve-seat opening and communicating withthe front end of the relatively large threaded opening 18, whose axis isparallel with and vertically below the extended axis of thevaporizing-tube.

In the manufacture of this burner the passage 17 can be drilled byprojecting a drill obliquely through the opening 18. To close the rearend of the opening 18, which is threaded, I employ the threadedclean-out plug 10, this plug being necessary in order that the finevaporjet-orifice 2O may be easily and quickly cleaned when necessary.This clean-out plug serves not only to close the rear end of the opening18, but also serves as a closure for what would otherwise be asuperfiuous extension of passage 17-that is to say, if the passage 17were so disposed that it could not be formed by projecting the drillinto opening 18, but would have to be drilled from the outside surfaceof the tail-casting, a plug would have to be employed to close up thelowerend of said passage, and through this closed end the vapor, intime, would leak to some extent and the result would be unsatisfactoryservice.

The tail-casting 15 is provided with a pendent arm a slight distanceforward of the arm in which the orifice 2O is formed, and said pendentarm is provided with a longitudinal opening 2l in axial alinement withsaid orilice, and secured in said arm and communieating with the opening2l thereof is the usual perforated burner-tube 22. The tail-casting isprovided in its opposite sides with vertical grooves 23 and forwardthereof with the fian ge 2i, pendent from the lower end of the front armof said casting.

The iron with-which this burner is primarily adapted for service isherewith illustrated, the base portion being numbered 25 and provided atits front end with a notch 26 and at its rear end with the verticalparallel ribs 27 and cross-rib 28, to the end that the burner may bereliably supported when placed in the iron, t-he flat ribs 4 of theheadcasting fitting snugly in the notch 26, and the front arm of thetail-casting resting upon the cross-rib 28 of the iron, with the flange24 overlapping and bearing against the front side of said rib andserving to preventlongitudinal movement of the burner and also to cutoff the escape of burned vapor at such point, such burned vapor beingadapted to escape through openings or recesses 28, formed in the wallsof the iron forward of its center. To any described peculiarity of theiron, however, no claim is made in this application.

The burner is prevented from lateral movement by the engagement of theribs 27 of the iron with the grooves 23 of the tail-casting. The cover29 of the iron is fitted down upon the base portion of the latter andlnay be secured reliably thereto through instrumentalities (not shown)actuated by the hand-disk 30 or in any other suitable manner, andsecured also to the cover is the handle 31.

Supposing the tank to be empty and it be necessary to recharge it, thecover of the iron is taken off and the burner removed from position. Theoperator then grasps the tank firmly in one hand and the tail end of theburner with the other and uses the latter as a lever in unscrewing saidparts. The tank is then charged with gasolene or its equivalent, and theburner-cap 15 is fitted thereon and screwed down in place by utilizingthe burner as a lever. Thus it will be seen that I dispense with the useof a wrench in both the connection and disconnection of the said parts.

In practice a little gasolene is poured in the hollow base portion ofthe iron and then the burner is placed on the iron. The gasolene is thenignited and the fiames enveloping the vaporizing-tube 14 raise the sameand the rod therein to vaporizing temperature. The key (not shown) isthen engaged with the squared end lO of the needle-valve rod, and thelatter is moved back slightly from its seat 16, so as to permit thevapor in tube lli to pass down through passage 17 and escape underconsiderable pressure through the orifice 20 into the opening 21, whereit mixes with the air drawn into said opening bythe stream of vapor,this mixing of ail-and vaporproducing a combustible gas,which as itescapes through the perforations'of the burner-tube is ignited. Thecover is then screwed in place, and the gas burning with intense heatsoon raises the temperature of the iron sufficiently to perform itsrequired function. This action continues as long as the valve is openand oil is admitted to the tube, and may be terminated at any time bysimply closing said valve. Substances foreign t0 the oil and conveyed bythe vapor down through the passage 17 find a lodgment in the opening 18,said opening being of such capacity that it will accommodate theaccumulations of such sediment for an extended period of time, andthereby obviate the necessity of frequently removing the clean-out plugand running a needle or equivalent device through the vapor jet-orificeto clean it, this operation being necessary very frequently in burnersWhere the vapor-passage leads direct from the valve-seat to the orifice.In this connection it may be stated that as the head-casting IOO IIO

and tank constitute a relatively large surface for radiating the heatconducted thereto the packing is not subjected to such a damaging heatas it would be if located in the tail-casting near the jet-orifice, asis customary. An intense heat causes asbestos or equivalent packing toharden or solidify, and therefore in time perform its function soimperfectly that a frequent renewal of the packing is necessary. Mychief objects are, however, in this connection, to produce a burner withits parts occupying relative positions which reduce the chances of thevapor jet-orifice becoming clogged up, and consequently insuring a morecontinuous and satisfactory serv` Y ice, to produce a constructionwhereby the jet-orifice when clogged up may be quickly and easilycleaned by the removal of the clean-out plug and the projection of aneedle through the oriiice without reducing the pressure, and to producea burner wherein the number of joints is reduced to limit chances ofleakage and consequent reduced pressure and imperfect service.

The drawings illustrate the preferred ernbodiment of my invention; butit is to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes asdo not involve a departure from its spirit and scope.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A vapor-burner, embodying a casting of approximately inverted- U formand provided with a valve-seat opening in its bridge portion, amixing-chamber opening in one of the depending arms, and a threadedopening in the other depending arm, and provided also with a jet-oriicecommunicating with the threaded opening and adapted to discharge vaportoward and into the mixing-chamber opening, said casting being providedalso with a passage connecting the valve-seat opening with said threadedopening, and a plug 19 closing the latter, substantially as described.

2. A vapor-burner, comprising a head-casting, having a packing-box, aninverted cap, a threaded passage, and a passage connecting the interiorof t-he cap with the threaded passage, a tail-casting provided with avalve-seat opening, and a burner, a tube connecting the head and tailcastings, and a needle-valve rod extending through said tube andpacking-box and engaging the valve-seat opening, and provided with athreaded portion engaging said threaded passage, substantially asdescribed.

3. Avapor-burner, comprising a head-casting having a packing-box, aninverted cap, a threaded passage, and a passage connecting the interiorof the cap with the threaded passage, a tail-casting provided withavalve-seat opening and a burner, a tube connecting the head and tailcastings, a needle-valve rod extending through said tube andypacking-box and engaging the valve-seat opening, and provided with athreaded port-ion engaging said threaded passage, and a tank secured tothe head-casting and communicating with the interior of said cap,substantially as described. In testimony whereof l afx my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

WILLTAM PITT.

Witnessesf M. R. REMLEY, G. Y. THORPE.

